Income inequality is more severe in the U.S. than it is in nearly all of West Africa, North Africa, Europe, and Asia. We’re on par with some of the world’s most troubled countries, and not far from the perpetual conflict zones of Latin American and Sub-Saharan Africa. Our income gap is also getting worse, having widened both in absolute and relative terms since the 1980s.
You know what bothers me about these US centric explanations of income (or any other) inequality? How they always highlight that the US is OMG OMG SINKING TO THE LEVEL OF THE WORST! As if, being in any way similar to Latin America (an area where, shall I remind everyone, the US had a big, powerful helping hand sinking in the first place) was the most undesirable and wretched thing that could happen to a nation.
You want to do better as a nation? I applaud that! In fact, I’d say every nation shares your noble goal. But please, do not posit that the worst that can happen is to be similar to one of those OMG UNDERDEVELOPED PLACES. I hail from one such place and you know, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even though my birth country also makes efforts to better herself. In any case, perhaps it’d be more useful if you compare yourselves to places like Sweden, Norway or even my current home country, The Netherlands. You know, compare yourselves to equal Western powers, since we are on the subject of equality.
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